The Cricketer's Corpse

by Miles M. Hudson

Why did Hamish Elliott die? The professional cricketer’s gruesome corpse is found in his own bed, with no signs of a struggle. But was it murder, suicide, accident or natural causes?

Durham Police’s Detective Sergeant Tony Milburn investigates. Who might have wanted Elliott dead? And why did the sleeping cricketer’s penis burst? The investigation is fraught, as Milburn is forced to work with Diane Meredith, the sensual policewoman who stalked and harassed him nearly a year earlier. Will he fall for her wiles, again?

The passage through a quagmire of suspects and potential motives is signposted by Milburn’s enigmatic, surfer friend, Penfold, and a menagerie of bizarre characters.

Witty and erudite, this murder mystery is a classic whodunit for the 21st Century. Sex, drugs and professional sport form the backdrop for a tale of human shortcomings when facing everyday temptations.

276 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

My future novel, 2089, is the beginning of the Audiopt series and was first published by Unbound.
Jack Smith objects to a life with no possibility for secrets. He blows up the surveillance computers at GCHQ, and goes on the run across across post-apocalyptic, climate-changed England. Hmm, dystopian or utopian ...?

Jack's second adventure brings in issues surrounding deepfake videos, in a fast-paced thriller where his relationship with Vicky Truva continues to develop.

The Audiopt series prequel is The Times of Malthus. This tale of two friends, Ellie and Loshie, follows them through the unravelling of society that eventually leads to the all-pervasive surveillance society of 2089.

My first novel, The Cricketer's Corpse, was launched serially, in real time. Each day, a new chapter was made available so readers could follow the murder mystery unfold, on the days each chapter happened, following along with the exploits of DS Tony Milburn, and his off-beat, surfer friend, Penfold.

The second Penfold detective mystery is The Kidney Killer:
A kidnap, a theft, and a murderous moon-worshipping cult: Detective Sergeant Milburn has his work cut out to solve several cases that all appear at once.

I have a 30 year passion for hockey, and for surfing, which you may notice appear in several of my books! Hope you enjoy them.

I've also been writing physics textbooks for about 20 years now, and have a series of kids stories and activities in postcard format: FunPostcardsFrom

You can buy all these books direct from the author through my website.

Miles Hudson also publishes under M.M. Hudson.

Reviews

[Bob Hurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cricketing Crime, lbw drug running

The Penfold Detective series continues. In this installment Penfold is asked by DS Marsh to assist in an investigation into the death of a cricketer. What follows is a tale of the cricketing fraternity and its habits. Story was OK but for me a little bit slow.

[Lucy Cartwright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started off quite slow - there’s quite a lot of characters, and detailed information about cricket and drugs, which made it hard to get into. It became quite an easy read once the pace picked up though, and I enjoyed the Durham setting. By the end I liked the character of Penfold, and I’m curious how he’ll be involved going forwards

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very factual which made the book flow a little slowly but you can't fault the writer for the amount of work that went into it. Characters took a bit to bring to life and separate but as I got into the story, did enjoy it. I hadn't worked out the ending so it was a good, satisfying finish.

[Matthew Hampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story and fun to read. The ending fell a bit flat for me but overall enjoyed it as a whole. Good to read a story in the north east.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

From page 174 I guessed one of the main plot lines! Ending feels a bit messy and left me confused.